re: Straight Man Lives One Year as Gay Man (Posted on 10/12/12 at 11:42 am to Jet12)

quote:The point was that learning to empathize with a lesbian friend means you've learned to empathize with gay people (/anyone different) as a human being in general.

Even just with her, I think "I'm sorry your parents disowned you. They just don't understand. You'll always have friends to support you, including me" is a HUGE improvement over "You deserved it because you're an abomination and going to hell unless you repent."

I understand trying to empathize. I had a friend who got kicked out of his home when he was 16. He wasn't even dating anyone. He just didn't deny being gay. Now he's on heroin and all sorts of fricked up. I really worry about him.

I could maybe understand setting up a mock coming out just to see how it feels, but to live as a gay man for a year is suspicious to me.

re: Straight Man Lives One Year as Gay Man (Posted on 10/12/12 at 12:03 pm to redstick13)

quote:Not sure how acting gay can make you completely understand actual gay people. So you could say he is defrauding his target audience for his book.

I don't think he's ever claimed to fully understand gay people. It was an effort to gain perspective. He had always been one to tell his gay peers that their lives were an abomination, instead of saying that God loves them no matter what. His reactions weren't in tune with Christ, aka love.

So he did something pretty drastic. He wanted to see what it was like to live in the South as a gay person. He wanted to know how his supposed friends would react. How would his parents react?

the book isn't going to say, "this is what it's like being gay in January." It will discuss the reactions of his friends and family and I'm sure whatever lessons he learned during that year.

re: Straight Man Lives One Year as Gay Man (Posted on 10/12/12 at 12:18 pm to flucobaseball)

quote:If your religion teaches the homosexuality is an abomination then that is what you are going to believe. You aren't being very tolerant of that religion.

You can believe something's wrong without telling someone they're going to hell for doing it. Without kicking them out of your house. Those are not things that Jesus would have done. It's not our place to judge. Bible's are widely available. They can read if they so choose. Outside of that, shut up and love your gay, straight, or transgender neighbor.

re: Straight Man Lives One Year as Gay Man (Posted on 10/12/12 at 12:23 pm to ocelot4ark)

Again, if you believe they are going to hell for it, then it's actually more loving to tell them so. I'm not advocating that parents kick kids out of the home. That's a whole different issue. However you expecting people to deny their religion to make you and others happy is not tolerance. It's the opposite.

re: Straight Man Lives One Year as Gay Man (Posted on 10/12/12 at 12:45 pm to ocelot4ark)

quote:You can believe something's wrong without telling someone they're going to hell for doing it. Without kicking them out of your house. Those are not things that Jesus would have done. It's not our place to judge. Bible's are widely available. They can read if they so choose. Outside of that, shut up and love your gay, straight, or transgender neighbor.

re: Straight Man Lives One Year as Gay Man (Posted on 10/12/12 at 1:05 pm to flucobaseball)

quote:Again, if you believe they are going to hell for it, then it's actually more loving to tell them so. I'm not advocating that parents kick kids out of the home. That's a whole different issue. However you expecting people to deny their religion to make you and others happy is not tolerance. It's the opposite.

You think it's more loving to say, "Well I can understand why your parents disowned you. You're going to hell if you don't change your ways!"

Good luck with that.

I'll leave you guys with this and ask you think think a little harder about your stance on biblical homosexuality.

re: Straight Man Lives One Year as Gay Man (Posted on 10/12/12 at 1:07 pm to ocelot4ark)

Actually that's not at all what I said. It seems you two are more focused on misrepresenting my posts than having an honest discussion. Maybe it's because I pointed out your hypocrisy in claiming to be tolerant so you want to divert attention. Next time, try to do it with something I actually posted.

re: Straight Man Lives One Year as Gay Man (Posted on 10/12/12 at 1:08 pm to redstick13)

A few years ago, an executive lived on the street for a couple weeks as a homeless man, outside his corporate office. Friends of his from work would actually make eye contact with his dirty face, etc as he held his hand out for money and they didn't even recognize him. It was filmed on hidden cameras, aired on TV and was very interesting.